Air Fryer Moong Dal Murukku (Chakli)
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Crunchy, crispy and spicy Murukku or Chakli made with Moong dal and Rice flour. Traditionally, they are deep fried but air fryer achieves that perfect crispiness without the calories. They are naturally gluten-free and healthy. They are crispy on the outside but have a super crumbly texture, I bet you can’t stop eating them!
“Murukku” is a savory crunchy, crispy snack from India, specifically the Southern states. Murukku in Tamil means “Twisted”, referring to the shape of the murukku. It has different names in different languages, Jantikalu in telugu, Chakli in Kannada, etc. and made all over the Indian subcontinent with little variations. The murukku recipe also varies by region and has different shapes. Jantikalu are like a bird’s nest, Chagodi is like a “O” and this particular variety is called “Mullu Murukku”, mullu means thorn and the shape of this murukku is thorny to touch. Whatever they are shaped like, they are all delicious!!!
How to achieve the crumbly texture in a murukku?
Its very important to add some kind of fat to make sure the crispies are crumbly and melt-in-mouthy(Is that a word?🤔). The right amount of fat makes sure that the texture of murukku is flaky and not hard as rocks. Making a shortcrust kind of dough is important, i.e. cutting the fat into flour to make the murukku crispy. I am using melted butter as my fat, but if you are making this recipe vegan, add oil or ghee.
What ingredients are used to make Air fryer Moong dal Murukku?
Murukku are usually gluten-free and Vegetarian. The flours change as per the region and taste. Urad dal and rice flour are the most commonly used ingredients in a traditional murukku. But I am changing up a bit and using moong dal and rice flour. These are the ingredients used in this recipe:
- Yellow Moong dal
- Rice flour
- Butter/Ghee
- Salt
- Chili powder
- Sesame seeds
- Ajwain or Carom seeds (Good for digestion, can be optional)
- Avocado oil spray
How to make the Air fryer Moong dal Murukku?
Before we make the dough, this 👇🏽 is the Murukku press and the star tip I am using to make the murukku.
- First, boil the yellow moong dal. I use my Instant pot to make my dal, rinse and drain the moong dal. Add drained moong dal to the inner pot and add 2 cups water to it.
- Close the lid and set the pressure cooker/Manual mode to 6 minutes, vent in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
- In a big mixing bowl, add salt, melted butter/ghee, red chili powder, sesame seeds, Ajwain/Carom seeds to rice flour and mix it all in.
- Cut the butter into the flour, so it forms a short crust kinda dough.
- Add the boiled moong dal and mix it in. Its important to add the moong dal lukewarm or hot to make the dough, this will make the murukku light and crispy.
- Mix it all together to make a soft yet stiff dough.
- You probably wont need any water, but just in case the dough is too stiff, add a couple tablespoons of warm water and mix the dough.
- Grease the murukku press mould on the inside with Avocado oil spray, Fix the star plate on one side and stuff the dough into the mould.
- Close it up and gently press the dough into nice spirals onto a parchment paper. You can adjust the spiral shape with your hand as you keep on pressing. IMPORTANT TIP: Keep the dough covered with a moist towel between batches. Air frying takes time, the dough will dry out if left uncovered.
- Its okay if the murukku are not in shapes, some turn out like this 🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
Making the murukku:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius. Gently transfer the piped murukku to the air fryer. TIP: It helps if you cut the parchment into tiny squares for easy transfer.
- Spray with avocado oil spray and Air Fry for 12-15 minutes, check and flip over the murukku at 7 minute mark.
- Carefully remove them from the air fryer and store in an airtight box once they cool down. Repeat with another batch immediately.
Pros and Cons of using an air fryer for Murukku:
Pros: They are low in calories obviously and smell less oily. Deep-fried stuff sometimes have a musty smell if stored longer but there is no such problem with air fried murukku. You also don’t have to baby sit the air fryer, you set the timer and keep checking in between. But with hot oil, we have to keep stirring and flipping to make sure they are fried.
Cons: It takes way too long to air fry each batch. Its a good thing I can do other things when the murukku air fry but deep-frying is faster comparatively.
Can these be baked?
Yes! They can definitely be baked, they will have the same taste as the air fried ones but they will be a bit hard. Don’t forget to add butter when mixing the dough.
How to store these murukku?
Store in an airtight box when they cool down. They last for a month at room temperature. I usually leave them in the pantry, so kids can reach it when they need snacks.
What to do if I don’t have a murukku press?
A strong piping bag like a Cotton piping bag with a open star tip should work great. Or you can go even more gaga and get a cookie press and make murukku in fun fancy shapes 😀
Moong Dal Murukku
Spicy Murukku made with moong dal and rice flour and in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Yellow Moong dal
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups Rice flour
- 4 tablespoons Melted Butter / Ghee / Oil
- 1 tablespoon Salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Red Chili powder or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon Ajwain or Carom seeds
- Avocado oil spray
- 2-4 tablespoons warm water(if needed)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the moong dal. Add drained moong dal to the inner pot of your Instant pot and add 2 cups water to it.
- Close the lid and set the pressure cooker/Manual mode to 6 minutes, vent in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
- In a big mixing bowl, add salt, melted butter/ghee, red chili powder, sesame seeds, Ajwain/Carom seeds to rice flour and mix it all in.
- Cut the butter into the flour, so it forms a short crust kinda dough.
- Add the boiled moong dal and mix it in. Its important to add the moong dal lukewarm or hot to make the dough.
- Mix it all together to make a soft yet stiff dough. You probably wont need any water, but just in case the dough is too stiff, add a couple tablespoons of warm water and mix the dough.
- Grease the murukku press mould on the inside with Avocado oil spray, Fix the star plate on one side and stuff the dough into the mould.
- Close it up and gently press the dough into nice spirals onto a parchment paper. Adjust the spiral shape with your hand as you keep on pressing.
Making the murukku:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F or 200 °C. Gently transfer the piped murukku to the air fryer. It helps to cut the parchment into tiny squares for easy transfer.
- Spray with avocado oil spray and Air Fry for 12-15 minutes, check and flip over the murukku at 7 minute mark.
- Carefully remove them from the air fryer and store in an airtight box once they cool down. Repeat with another batch immediately.
Notes
- Do not reduce the amount of fat used to mix the dough, it helps with the crispiness and lightness of the murukku. You can use butter or ghee or oil as the fat.
- The Moong dal can be pressure cooked or can be cooked on stove top.
- Sesame seeds add a nutty taste and Carom seeds add a peppery taste, they are both optional and can be replaced by Cumin seeds.
- Red chili powder is optional as well.
- Keep the dough covered with a moist towel between batches. Air frying takes time, the dough will dry out if left uncovered.
- Each air fryer is different and has different unit temperatures, the air frying timings may vary depending on the air fryer. Keep checking at 10 minutes and keep air frying more as needed.
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